When I was young I remember playing all types of games. Nintendo was by far my favorite. Getting all the kids in the neighborhood to come over and watch how fast I could beat Super Mario 2 was tops on my list. Final Fantasy took me years to beat. Yes, years. Of course, I was too young for the game when I made my first attempt.

I remember the biggest thing at that time was Mario 3. Games like that are classics, and we'll never see anything like them again. But thanks to our friends at Messiah, we may be able to relive those finer moments in video game history. Messiah announced back in June 2005 that they would be releasing the NEX in Sept. 2005. Yes, that's right, it's already out.

The Messiah NEX is everything a vintage geek like me needs. Not only does it play NES (Original US Nintendo games), but it also plays Famicon games (Imported Japanese games) through a top loading port. The sound has been upgraded to dual mono output, which simulates stereo sound. The Messiah NEX comes with a wired remote, but it will support wireless ones as well. The best part is that all our original accessories will work on this new system, even the light zapper! And, all this comes in a cute little package about half the size of the original Nintendo.

But wait! I have saved the best parts for last. The Messiah NEX has direct connect slots. If you have ever played NES you will remember the problems with dirt and dust. Even the lightest, smallest speck can get in there and make it a pain to get the cartridge to play. However the direct connect eliminates worry about dust. No more blowing on the tapes, jiggling them around, or violently pushing the reset button repeatedly.

At only $59.99 USD the Messiah NEX is the best deal for a new game system you can get. Most of us have games up in the closet. Now would be a great time for our kids to find out where their modern video games came from.

To sum up the Messiah NEX will be sleeker and trouble free, works with all our games, and accessories, dual mono, and plays Japanese ports. All for about the same price as an Xbox game.

Count me in.
Till next time.